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HOW TO MAXIMIZE THE PRESENT

My eyes open unto a
new day and my brain automatically resets from dream world to the conscious. I become
aware of my immediate surrounding and the location of my body- on a bed, the
floor, a bench, or a tree.

Being awake reiterates
the importance of awareness and consciousness. The two distinct qualities
required for living in the present successfully.

Hi!

I’m Anne Atulaegwu and I’m about to show you
how to use your NOW successfully.

(Stretching my
hands in a bid to shake)

When I was younger,
I couldn’t wait to be a woman. I look back at that time and I’m not sure what
inspired the hurry. I just know I wanted to wear mummy’s shoes because they
were stilettos and I wanted a bulge on my chest so I can wear brassieres like her.

(Chuckles)

I did play dress up
with my younger sister. I will pad up my chest with some clothes and wear momma’s
brassieres. I will imagine how I would look as an adult. Mummy didn’t use make
up. I’m pretty sure I wouldn’t have spared them.

Today, I sometimes
wish I could go out without brassieres. (Girls, you understand what I mean huh?). I secretly long for those girly days when
just your outer dress would do.

Many times in life
we are often eager to appear in the future or too concerned that we prefer the
past. This eventually takes its toll on the present.

The
present is the mould that perpetually forms the future. It would soon be
yesterday as it was once tomorrow. It is the only thing we truly own therefore
we must be aware and conscious of it.

Knowing that the
present holds much significance in our lives, how can we make best use of it?

A.Be aware of the present

Awareness
refers to having the knowledge or perception of a situation or fact1.

The
questions you need to ask to aid awareness of the present are

1.Where
am I in life?

Sadly when people ask this question,
they are mostly looking at material possessions like cars, buildings, size of
businesses and all that. I totally agree that these things are important but if
they are the first basis on which you measure success, you’re pretty much being
shallow.

When we ask the question “Where am I
in life?” it should be in relation to our purpose (the reason we were created
in the first place)!

What’s your calling? What distinct
or multi-faceted role were you created to play on earth? The question of where
you are in life, should inspire “capacity building” and “effectiveness” in fulfilling our purpose.

Don’t ever ask the question while
you compare yourself with how many children your classmates have, how many
countries your neighbour has been to, nor how many people like your page on
Facebook. It’s really funny that stuffs like that bother people.

You are not on a race with anyone
but yourself. You are running to beat your own time and fulfill your assignment
based on the schedule ordained or apportioned to your stay on earth.

Therefore, we must ask “Where am I in
life?” to help us ascertain if we are behind God’s schedule for us and not
another person’s schedule. Read: The predestined Route to Fulfilment

2.What
is required of me right now?

I
ask this question every day of my life - On my secular job, in my relationships
and definitely on ministry assignments. Being aware of what is required of us
brings us one step closer to making the best of the present.

Observe
scenarios regularly with an eye that seeks for what is required of you in the
now and get to work on that immediately. Read: How to make wise decisions

3.Whom
do I need at this point?

Collaboration
is key to fulfillment. There’s someone you’re supposed to partner with at this
point to effectively maximize your current resources. Prayerfully, and studiously
seek them out. Who has the skills you
desire to pick up, whom can you learn from? Who can you help? When we realize
that relationships are important fabrics in the present which in turn
influences the quality of the future, we will be conscious about whom we
collaborate with or let into our lives.

Your
position, responsibilities and relationships determine what the present moulds
into a future for you.

As
a little girl, girlhood required that I wear moderately raised shoes not my
momma’s stilettos. I didn’t realize that when I grew up, there would be moments
when I will get tired of stilettos because my heels and knees will ache and so
it was unnecessary to start that early.

When
we are conscious of the requirements of today, we would not leave things to
chance.

To
some people awareness and consciousness appear to mean the same thing but to me
there’s a tricky difference between them.

While
awareness puts you in the know, consciousness influences you to action. This is
because; you might be aware of something but not stay conscious of it.

To
maximize our present, we must be both aware and conscious of every moment
called NOW.

In
relationships don’t let yourself drift to how it used to be or how it can be.
Ask where are we? What is required of me in this relationship? Who do I need to
help improve the quality of things?

In
the ministry, ask where am I in relation to God’s original plan? What is
required of me right now? Who do I need to fulfill the assignment?

I consider it a
huge privilege to be God’s mouthpiece on earth. I pretty much like that I have
to learn from Him and the capable others he has planted in my life while
passing on this knowledge to others as He wills. Being His
mouthpiece means I have to travel, meet people, and go to places are like or
not like (yes sometimes you don’t feel like being somewhere). This exposes me to a whole lot of information
and helps me build valuable relationships. I’ve been a guest
minister to many in the last twelve (12) years of my life. Pretty much since I was
a teenager. I’ll like to share with you a few things I believe young people
should never do when they are out as guest ministers. 1.Don’t Isolate yourself from responsibilities There
are times when the host might place you in their home or someone else’s rather
than a hotel. Most young people tend to cross their legs and wait for breakfast
in bed like the anointing would lift if they picked up a pin. When
you’re placed in a home rather tha…

“If
this life has anything to gain at all, I’ll count it lost if I can’t hear you
feel you, cause I need you…” rang my amazing ringtone by Lecrae. I
picked up the sleek darling to see who misses me. It was this pretty friend of
mine. Ada
(Not real name) and I met at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka in our first
year. We had a lot in common and she was just my type (whatever that means)
LOL. Anyway, I was (and still am) literally and figuratively in love
with God and I noticed her heart was committed to God and His standards too. Well,
we graduated four years later and you know how life happens. We haven’t really
kept in touch for a while. I heard sometime back that she was engaged and I
called to say congratulations. We talked about how life had been
since after school and how we both are still fervently loving and serving the
Lord. She said her wedding was three months away and I told her I definitely
needed the aso-ebi (A uniform material sold to people who wish to attend an
event). T…